Social Worker (Mental Health - PCMHI)

Veterans Health Administration • Chesapeake, VA

7d • Onsite

About The Position

This Social Worker position is within the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chesapeake, Virginia clinic. The role is aligned with the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Program (PCMHI) and Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) Hub, administratively within the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line. The full performance level is GS-11; the vacancy may be filled at GS-9 through GS-11.

The Social Worker provides timely clinical assessment, collaborative care, and treatment for Veterans experiencing mental or behavioral health concerns in primary care. The position delivers individual and group interventions, supports measurement-based and stepped care with follow-up, collaborates with a multidisciplinary team, and provides consultation and education to patients, families, staff, and trainees. It also includes cognitive screenings, caregiver support when indicated, risk assessment, suicide-prevention procedures, and program documentation.

The position is permanent and onsite at the Chesapeake clinic. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework and virtual work are not available. Recruitment or relocation incentives and permanent-change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s level for GS-11 and above. A GS-9 appointment may use the stated exception for otherwise qualified candidates completing state licensure prerequisites.
• For GS-11 appointment, at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social-work-related setting, plus independent-practice-level licensure or certification; alternatively, a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the one year of professional clinical social work experience.
• Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities specified for the applicable grade, including Veteran-centered interventions; psychosocial assessment and treatment planning; individual, family, and group treatment; communication and working relationships; and knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatments, medications, and medical terminology.
• For GS-11, demonstrate knowledge of community resources and referral coordination; skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and interventions across diverse populations; skill in independently implementing treatment modalities; and ability to consult with new social workers, graduate students, and other staff.
• Be a U.S. citizen, subject to the stated exception for non-citizen appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Comply with Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Be subject to a background/security investigation and complete the online onboarding process and required application documents.
• Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Meet applicable education and credential requirements; foreign education requires the specified foreign-equivalency documentation.

Responsibilities

• Provide immediate clinical assessment and appropriate collaborative care and treatment for people experiencing mental health symptoms or behavioral health issues.
• Provide individual and group interventions for health psychology concerns, psychosocial stressors, grief or life-phase difficulties, and mild-to-moderate mental health presentations.
• Deliver collaborative, stepped, measurement-based care, including appropriate longitudinal follow-up, for common mental and behavioral health conditions in the primary care population.
• Work as a member of a multidisciplinary team of medical and mental health providers.
• Consult with professionals across disciplines about mental health diagnoses and appropriate treatment plans.
• Provide cognitive screenings to address specific functional or cognitive ability questions when indicated.
• Educate patients, patients’ family members, professional staff, and trainees.
• Engage Veterans’ families in empirically supported treatment for caregiver burden when necessary.
• Complete thorough risk assessments and follow mental health crisis procedures when indicated.
• Follow suicide prevention guidelines and risk-assessment documentation and training requirements.
• Support VA, VHA, VISN, and facility missions, policies, and procedures.
• Complete program documentation in accordance with policy guidance.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual-leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level